Aching joints are among the most common health complaints, and they can happen for reasons too numerous to count. If you, like me, suffer from the occasional twinge in the knee or feel your elbows demanding some TLC after hours of slogging at the desk, I have some advice that will bring you relief. I have tried each one of these, and felt better each time. The good news is, these remedies require very little effort, and yield great results.

Best Home Remedies for Joint Pain or Arthritis

Munch on Fenugreek seeds: my grandmother’s favorite remedy for joint ache. She would soak a teaspoon of fenugreek seeds in clean water overnight. In the morning, she would drain off the water and munch on the seeds. They taste slightly bitter to begin with, then slowly and pleasantly sweeten as you chew. According to ancient Indian healers, fenugreek is “warm” in nature, which makes it helpful in healing your joints.

Hot and cold Pack

For immediate joint pain, try a hot and cold approach. Apply a hot therapeutic gel pack to the affected area for twenty minutes. Immediately follow up with a cold ice pack for another twenty. If you can’t stand the severity of ice, let it thaw out while you are applying heat. Even a chilled pack will bring relief.

Turmeric

Turmeric is antiseptic and has healing properties. When teamed with warm milk, it acts on treating joint pains as well as facilities the healing process.

Massage

Massage therapy helps relieve joint pain by improving circulation and soothing inflammation. In fact, several studies indicate that regular massage can improve pain, stiffness and range of motion in the affected joint.To massage the affected area, use warm oil like coconut, olive, mustard, castor or garlic oil and apply gentle pressure while massaging.

Epsom salt

Epsom salt baths facilitate easy absorption of magnesium through the skin. Joint pain is often associated with low levels of magnesium. Moreover, magnesium helps reduce inflammation and aids in detoxification of cells. Mix two cups of Epsom salt in warm bath water. Soak in it for about 20 minutes. Repeat three times a week until you get relief from your joint pain.

Garlic

Being rich in sulfur and selenium, garlic is beneficial for those suffering from arthritis and joint pain. Sulfur helps relieve joint pain and inflammation and, according to research, selenium may have an antirheumatic effect. Also, arthritic patients tend to have low levels of selenium in the blood. Include raw or cooked garlic in your diet. You can safely consume two or three garlic cloves daily. If you are deterred by the smell or taste of garlic, consider taking garlic supplements (follow the directions on the label). You can also fry two garlic cloves in two tablespoons of mustard or sesame oil. When the garlic cloves turn black, turn off the heat and strain the oil. Allow the oil to cool until it is comfortably warm, and then massage it into the skin around affected area. Leave it on for about three hours before washing it off. Do this twice daily until you see improvement.

Exercise

When it’s painful and difficult just to move, the last thing you feel like doing is getting up and exercising. As unpleasant as it may sound though, exercise is vital for those who suffer from any form of stiffness, joint pain, or arthritis. Exercise will help control weight (an excess of which puts more strain on your joints) strengthens the muscles that support the joint, even when the cartilage is thinning, and lubricates the joints, allowing them to move more freely. When we are inactive the synovial fluid in the joints is the consistency of a thick gel, but once we get moving and warming up, the liquid becomes more viscous and can do a better job of lubricating our joints and keeping them going smoothly. Just imagine if you were to be sedentary every day, pretty soon you’d be so stiff it’d be just about impossible to move. But if you get up and move around every day, you’ll get stronger and will loosen up as well.

Try…-Going for a brisk walk-start with 15 minutes and work your way up into a solid daily routine.-Doing joint-targeted exercises-certain stretches and exercises specifically target joints to help rid them of stiffness and pain.-Getting a dog-doing so backs up the first point, because you’ll have no choice but to walk!